River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-01-20
THE BASILISK.
A STORY OF TODAY.
CHAPTER NYIII.

no sort of ill-will for the blow. This
absence of petty resentment was nS at
/ all reassuring to me. 1t was rather
| terrible. There was in it a sort of
calm determination. He had marked
the quarry for his own, and was rather
inclined to admire her for showing
fight than to be angry with her for re-
sisting him.
My own chief object now must be,
saw, in all things to avoid suspicion, and
at the first opportunity TO open com.
munications with Mary Fortescue.
Luckily. l was in possession of the
secret of the approach TO the concealed
entrance. The fact that there was a
means of exit by way of the back stair
case. showed that the other way was
designed for facilities of flight or con-
/ ceIlment, rather than that, as | first
{ imagined. the rooms themselves were
\ hidden. Still, there was sufficient
cause for alarm in the fact that they
had obviously wished to deceive me as
to Mary's . movements. presumably
from suspicion that | was
/ prepared to take her part as far as
could That they should deliberately
state that she had set out for Pyrmont
at the very time that she was kept out
of the way in their own house, and
subject To the odious attentions of one
for whom she expressed a perfect alb
horrcncc. WAS enough to determine me
TO use every effort to counteract
their designs.
As we sat at dinner, and | observed
the strange expression of puzzled
amusement on Plowitz's face, and the
mark on temple and cheek which re-
suited from his fall-for 1t was the
accident of hitting his head againstthe
wall rather than the direct violence of
ny blow which had reduced him t.
temporary insenSibility-l longed to
/ ten him Of what | knew, and to have 1t
/ cuC with him. man To man. But tins
was a qualification which must be de-
/ ferred.
Il do hope Mary viii have a good
passage" said Miss Beaufoy, when we
we're seated at dinner. "She Is such
bad sailor
1T is a very calm night, said Mr..
Beaufoy, land the glass has been
standing high for some days now.
"They are very good boats, SAID
Plowitz joining in the little concert OF
meudacity. .And il is a perfectly COM
/ Portable passage from Harwlch.
/ felt quite delighted at the sense OF
hidden power which l possessed, not
only i'm being able to study their eX-
/ pressions. but to have discovered by
accident their falsehood, and the where
/ abouts of their quasi-captive.
/ After dinner Miss Beaufoy invited
me to play for her in the drawing-room.
turned the conversation again to
the subject which was uppermost IN my
thoughts.
Il fear Miss Fortescue will find it
dun being away among strangers? L
began.
"Thev are not strangers to her; and.
at any rate, they are the relations oil
/ he aflianced husband.
"Are you sure that this is a match
/ which will make her happy?" asked.
The Basilisk laughed at me, very
/ unusual course, with one of her calm
and digniled manner.
"Whv shouldn't it?' she asked.
81 mean, do you think she really
/ wishes to marry DIR. Plowitz?"
..The best answer to that is" she re-
+ piled rather Jelly, "Why should she
/ consent, otherwise?'
..She gave me the impression of be-
/ ing subdued. and very easily influenced
/ BY pressure, especially by unKindness. "
/ Il don't think you are much of
/ Judge of character, Mr.. Coplestone.
/ Mary has a very strong will of her
own" Here she laughed, as if in
/ aflectionate remembrance of little pas
| sares Of arms, in which she had not
come off victorious. ''And DIR. Plowitz
is not at all likely to be unkind to her.
! or to anyone. He has given evidence
Of wonderful self-control and good
nature only to-day"
Pardon my asking it, but do you
/ think, for instance, that this journey to
/ Germany was quite to her taste?'
..Do YOU know, Mr.. Coplestone, that
I this sounds rather as if a stranger were
/ interfcringin family affairs, and talking
about what he cannot possibly under
/ stand?'
Not at all. believe me. I naturally
take an Interest," great interest-in
/ Miss Fortcscue. But not seldom a
/ stranger observes things that nearer
relations overlook, and you must re-
member that | have had good oppor-
tunities of learning something of her
character and tastes"
..And YOU must remember that Miss
/ Fortescue is engaged to our friend, DIR.
/ PiowitZ: that she is my cousin and old
est friend. and that you have got some
J strange faucieS into YOUR head which
/ would be more Ineligible if you were
| i'm the habit of reading silly romances. "
Pardon me if | have taken lib
crtv. | said.
..What YOU have said is easily par
doned. she replied sweetly, land par
/ don me for speaking of you as
stranger. for YOU have ceased to be that
/ long ago. Mary win come back, no
/ doubt. much the better for her trip,
and Is now, no doubt, happy enough
in the change and excitement of
travelling.
PLAYED few notes on the piano in
I the silence that followed this closing
/ speech. admiringin a way the beautiful
Sapphire who was rolling off these
/ melodious mendacities so near me,
I when a noise of slamming door and
hurried footsteps reached my ear. A
sudden look of anger and alarm came
into Miss Beaufoy's face. The noise
/ came nearer, and suddenly in the door
way appeared the form of Mary. Miss
Beaufoy started up; Mary was about to
speak: the first sound of articulation
was audible, when Mrs. Hardy, who
was evidently in pursuit, threw a
coarse hand over her mouth, and
roughly drew her away. At the same
moment Plowitz came stamping into
the room. sing ng noisily.
| had started up in anger and
alarm. Plowitz. with his clumsy
efforts to cover the noise of the inter-
ruption. was greatly perturbed. Miss
Beaufoy alone recovered or preserved
her presence of mind.
..Dear me, professor" she said, .that
is a wonderful entrancei Are you